Saturday, December 19, 2015

A Response to a Commenter on Ad Blocking

I use adblock, so I suppose I'm a thief, despite the fact that I always enter amazon via LRC's link, and that I send paypal donations when I can manage it.

Some of y'all get pretty self righteous about the way others surf the net. Site owners can put up a donate button or run ads, but short of operating pay sites, they will always have the freeloader aspect to deal with.

14 comments:

Fallacious argument by RW here. There are plenty of ways to make money online without relying on ads, even for someone just getting started. I would argue there are better ways even. Building an email list and selling info products for example. Write e books about your blog topics and sell them to your subscribers. Hosting webinars for profit is yet another way. Get creative.

How many blog followers do you need to make decent ad revenue? Is it any easier to get that kind of following than it is to build an email list? And why does the focus have to be on libertarianism? Why can't people share other skills and ideas they have and tie it into libertarianism or austrian economics etc. Instead of a blog people could make youtube videos, start a podcast, or a combination thereof. My point isn't that it's easy, my point is there are so many different ways to build an audience and provide them with goods and services without relying a on ads.

I started using an ad blocker because the ads were not tasteful. The ads typically had a lot of skin, many were overtly raunchy and others were mail order brides. I continuously I asked for the ads to not show up because they were not tasteful. However, the ads would continuously show. I would have had no problem viewing ads if they were tasteful. I finally had it when absolutely disgusting ads showing a person's toe fungus would come on. Can you imagine trying to eat a sandwich while on the internet while looking at some repulsive images of someone's foot? The ad blocker went on immediately after that.

I come here for quality content and because new items are posted thought the day. I kind of miss EPJ being on one site personally. You have to produce quality content for a long time to build an audience. Bloggin ain't easy.

Bob, that is an absurd argument. If you are seriously writing for the money, you will fail, period. Even under the best circumstances, ad money is RARELY more than a bit of spending money.

Writing a blog is about building a brand. Here's what Vox Day said in a recent interview about ad revenue:

SS: Have you ever focused on trying to generate advertising revenue? If so, what were the results? If a blogger would want to maximize advertising revenue, would you recommend aiming for this goal in general — and if so, what tactics would you recommend specifically? If not, why is advertising revenue not a realistic goal for bloggers?

VD: No. I get a modest amount of ad revenue, but I’ve never actively pursued it. I’m too controversial for most advertisers anyhow. If you want ad revenue, be a mommy blogger. They seem to be the most in demand.

Vox is wildly successful. He doesn't moan about ads or ad block users like you do. He just builds a brand. His blog is the most-followed in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy world. His book publisher Castalia is achieving coup after coup in the same genre. He has written two recent non-fiction bestsellers (SJWs Always Lie and Cuckservative). He's designing video games. He even has private group meetings ("Brainstorms") roughly every month that he sometimes offers for free but more often charges $20 a pop, and which MANY gladly pay to participate (I would too, but the time zone difference makes it too hard for me).

His audience, who he treats with respect, reciprocate in kind and are his most loyal customers.

If ad-blockers are as evil as you say, block us (I am one too). You have pointed to sites like Yahoo that are doing so already.

Here's an even better response: http://voxday.blogspot.co.il/2015/12/advice-for-would-be-blogger.html

Shorter version: write because you enjoy the process and because you actually have something different to say. Don't do it for the attention. Don't do it for the money. Don't do it because you like what you perceive as the lifestyle. Don't do it because you like the image. Especially don't do it because you think it is some sort of get-rich-quick scheme. It's not. It's the exact opposite due to the supply-and-demand curve; there are more people who want to write and are able to publish than ever before, combined with fewer people who read and buy books than there have been in decades. Writing is a hobby, not a profession, a career, or a business.

If you don't have anything to say that isn't already being said, don't bother. If you're just looking to express yourself, that's what Pinterest and Twitter are for. If you're just looking for attention, Tumblr and Facebook will suffice.

Great comments. This argument almost makes me feel like in Anthem, "it would bring ruin to the Department of Candles!"

Ad blockers are here to stay, we're not going to turn the electricity off so you can keep the candle makers employed. Libertarianism will not be hindered by ad blocking, this notion is greatly exaggerated.

I understand RW's point here - it does make it more difficult for a young blogger starting out to blog as his primary source of income. But like most small businesses, it starts out as something you do in addition to your primary source of income. Something you dedicate your free time and weekends to until you accumulate enough support to do it exclusively.

Plus, has RW given a libertarian reason to be against ad-blockers? (maybe he has, I honestly don't know). It's altering the content after it's been delivered, like skipping past the sponsors on a podcast or muting the TV during commercials.

RW - Have you considered a measure along the lines of blocking the posts written by you until the ad-blocker is removed but allow everything else? You'll still retain readers but give people the incentive to remove the blocker?